Audiobook Month celebrations start on June 1 every year with the goal of increasing awareness and engagement with the format. Listening to audiobooks is not only a legitimate way of reading but also makes it more accessible and a lot of fun. Audiobooks have made reading on the go easier and made books accessible to those with poorer vision, attention span issues, or low literacy levels. With the help of audiobooks, reading in unfamiliar languages has also become easier. It is easy to pick up from where you left off while different audible settings ensure a comfortable listen.
History of Audiobook Month
Many of us don’t know this but audiobooks have been around for a long time now. When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, he wanted to record books on it so that reading could become accessible for the visually challenged. He developed the idea of a phonographic book and lobbied at the Royal Institution in Britain to make these books easily accessible. To demonstrate his point, Edison recorded a verse of Alfred Tennyson’s poetry that was played for the attendees.
However, Edison’s phonographic books had a limited capacity and could not record clips that were longer than 4 minutes. This meant that it was insufficient for the recording of long chapter books. In the 1970s, when 60-minute cassettes were developed, it became possible to record longer literary works. But it wasn’t until the invention of the CD that audiobooks really came into being. As memory expanded, users no longer had to worry about a lack of space for their recordings. A single CD was capable of containing volumes of books. With time, audiobooks started becoming available on music streaming apps as well as apps built solely for listening to audiobooks.
About 40% of all audiobooks are consumed through public libraries, while the rest are sold online and at retail book stores. Library download programs have also seen rapid growth as these public libraries offer free downloadable audiobooks. Audiobooks have also proven to increase general literacy. Audiobook Appreciation Month celebrates the wonderful development of audiobooks over the years and the way this format has helped millions of people read their favorite books day after day!
Audiobook Month timeline
Thomas Edison records the first phonographic book, which contains the recordings of Alfred Tennyson’s poetry.
The first audiobooks begin to appear at retail book shops.
Audible pioneers the world’s first mass-market audiobooks — the books had to be played on the ‘Audible Player.’
It is estimated that approximately 50,000 books are recorded in the U.S., which retail for about $1.2 billion.
Audiobook Month FAQs
What is Audiobook Month?
The month of June is Audiobook Appreciation Month.
How much is Audible monthly?
You can buy an Audible Unlimited subscription for $14.95 monthly.
Is Audible worth the money?
Yes, it is. Especially if you love reading and like reading on the go.
How To Celebrate Audiobook Month
Get an audiobook of your favorite title
Have you listened to the audiobook version of your favorite book? If not, then Audiobook Appreciation Month is the perfect time to start. Settle in with your audiobook and discover a completely new side of your favorite book!
Encourage your book club to try audiobooks
Instead of paperbacks and hardcovers, propose to read an audiobook for your next book club meeting. Apart from discussing the usual things like the plot and characters, you can also talk about the pros of listening to an audiobook.
Gift an audiobook
Audiobooks make for great gifts, especially for young children. You can give audiobooks of poetry collections and plays to young children as a way of introducing them to a new genre. Audiobooks also offer a more immersive reading experience for children.
5 Facts About Audiobooks That Will Blow Your Mind
Audiobooks were invented for the blind
Audiobooks were created to help visually challenged people and injured veterans to read.
An average audiobook is 10 hours long
It is said that an average novel has up to 80,000 words — this translates to almost 10 hours of narration.
An average audiobook is 300 MB in size
A high-quality 10-hour long audiobook is typically 300 MB in size, which is slightly larger than the average music album — standard quality audiobooks are available in 150 MB, too.
A narrator makes up to $250 an hour
Making audiobooks is an expensive business — a prolific and well-known narrator can make up to $250 an hour!
The longest audiobook is 146,444 minutes long
The longest audiobook is “Shree Haricharitramrut Sagar” and it is 146,444 minutes and 52 seconds long.
Why We Love Audiobook Month
It makes reading inclusive
Audiobooks have made reading inclusive for visually impaired people, the elderly, and even those with a shorter attention span. Audiobooks have not just made reading easier for a lot of people but also more engaging and fun.
It celebrates a new format
We are all used to reading paperbacks and hardcovers. Audiobook Appreciation Month is a good time to experience reading in a new format and discovering a new way of enjoying books.
It also celebrates nostalgia
Listening to audiobooks takes us back to a time in our childhood when stories were told to us. In a way, audiobooks recreate this experience of our formative years, which makes it quite a nostalgic activity.
Audiobook Month dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | June 1 | Saturday |
| 2025 | June 1 | Sunday |
| 2026 | June 1 | Monday |
| 2027 | June 1 | Tuesday |
| 2028 | June 1 | Thursday |
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